Senses
by bunengshuo
Summary: AU. Humans have 5 senses that help them percieve the outside world and each other. Taste. Smell. Touch. Hear. Sight.
1. Taste

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

* * *

Looking at the salad bar, Sasuke let out a loud sigh. He had no intention whatsoever of showing up for his 5-year high school reunion. Revisiting fan-girl memories was not an ideal way to spend the night. But Naruto said that it would be good to see everyone again. Sasuke commented that Naruto got to see Sakura everyday and that was enough. The loud-mouthed baka laughed it off and dragged him along anyways.

Sighing once again, Sasuke decided to fill his plate. If he had to pay for this stupid reunion at least the food should be good.

"Are you going to only eat tomatoes?" Sasuke turned to his left and looked at the woman.

"Hn. I don't really like anything else." She obviously had to be in the same class as him. But he just couldn't quite remember who she was.

"Ah I see. Well, it's good to try different things you know?"

"Hn. Maybe." He then pointed to her plate.

"How come you don't have any salad dressing?"

"I don't really like dressing."

"It's good try different things you know?" He repeated her line back to her.

"Perhaps." Sasuke smirked at her comment.

"Hinata-chan!" Naruto just had to come and ruin the moment.

"Naruto-kun!" She laughed a little at his loud outburst.

"I've been looking all over for you. Sakura wants to take a picture of all the girls."

"Sure. Let me just put my plate down."

"I'll hold it for you." Sasuke offered.

"Thanks." She smiled at him and walked off with Naruto. Sasuke found a table and sat down. He wasn't sure what exactly possessed him to offer to her hold plate. Maybe he was bored out of his mind. Maybe he found her too intriguing. When Naruto said her name, Sasuke slowly started to remember her. She had shorter hair then. She was shy, hardly speaking up in class. She was part of the Hyuuga family, meaning that her over-protective cousin had to be somewhere near. Most importantly, she wasn't part of his crazy fan club. So now the question was whether or not _she_ remembered _him_.

"Thank you so much for holding my plate." She took a seat beside him.

"Hn. Sure. Here." He handed her a fork. They ate in silence.

"So how are you after all of these 5 years?" Of course she would be the one to start the conversation.

"Same I guess."

"And your job is going well?"

"Yes. I own my own company now."

"Oh? You aren't working for Uchiha Co.?" So yes, she did remember him.

"No. I wanted to branch out."

"That's good, establish your own identity."

"I don't know if that's really the case. I am still doing the same thing just under a different name."

"True. But at least you are setting your own rules. Plus you are in control, not being controlled."

"Hn. And you?"

"I am sort of in-between jobs right now." Sasuke was slightly caught off-guard by her statement. Wasn't she the oldest in the Hyuuga family?

"Sorry I didn't mean to pry into your private life."

"It's fine. I asked you first remember."

"Hn."

"It seems like a bunch of our high school friends paired off." Hinata looked out on the dance floor.

"I guess."

"Ino and Shikamaru are expecting their first child you know? TenTen and nii-san just got married. Kiba is on his honeymoon."

"Naruto and Sakura are engaged."

"Exactly."

"I'm glad that they found their own happiness. Oh there's Shino. I want to say hi to him. I'll be right back." Sasuke watched as she left the table. Something about her changed. She certainly wasn't the same girl as before.

"What are you doing?" The man asked coldly as he sat down.

"Neji."

"Uchiha. What are you doing staring at Hinata like that?"

"I'm not hitting on her if that's what you are asking."

"You mean you aren't hitting on her yet. She isn't going to be one your conquests."

"Hn. Aren't you being overprotective?"

"You have no idea what Hinata has done for me and her younger sister. Protecting her is the least that I could do."

"And what exactly had she done?" Sasuke saw Neji's face soften.

"You don't have the right to know."

"Nii-san?" Thankfully Hinata had come.

"Hinata." The man stood up and hugged her. "Don't leave before saying goodbye to me. Who knows when I will see you again?"

"Of course not nii-san."

"Good. Sasuke." At least he had the decency to say some sort of goodbye before he left.

"Neji." Sasuke returned the courtesy. Hinata sat back down next to him and finished eating her salad.

"You never told me why you don't like dressing."

"Oh!" A faint blush crept up into her cheeks. "Don't laugh okay?"

"I'll promise to at least try not to laugh."

"I like the way salad tastes naturally."

"But salad doesn't have any taste."

"Yes it does! Like this lettuce is crunchy. And this carrot is sweet. This cucumber is sweet too. I don't know. Just everything has a unique flavor. I don't want to ruin it by adding dressing. I mean, why do you only eat tomatoes?"

"Because they taste good." That was the only response Sasuke could think of.

"See. Because they have natural flavor. So it's the same with salad. I like the natural flavor."

"How interesting." Was the only response Sasuke could come up with. She certainly was interesting. Who in their right mind would ever eat salad without dressing? Eating salad dry was so plain. But maybe that was what was so special about her. On the outside she seemed plain but something precious was hidden inside.

She was different.

"So Hinata I don't mean to be rude or anything but earlier you said you are in-between jobs."

"Yeah but it's all right. I'm still looking around."

"I think I may be able to help you with that."


	2. Smell

Hinata is the first one to admit that she was has a few quirky habits. For one she didn't eat salad with dressing. Another was that she associated people with specific smell.

Naruto smelled like ramen. Granted that made sense since his favorite meal, and perhaps the only meal he would eat, was ramen. But it was more than that. The smell of ramen brought a sense of hope. No matter how horrible your day was going, you could always order a bowl of ramen. The delicious noodles and soul-warming soup never failed to bring a sense of comfort. Plus, an almost 100% guarantee that you would find Naruto at the ramen stand meant he would brighten your day. Naruto always made you laugh. Whether it was because of his not-so-funny jokes or just Naruto being Naruto. Either way, to Hinata, Naruto's smell of ramen gave her faith that there is always tomorrow.

Shino smelled like the woods, something rare in the polluted city they lived in. Shino's quiet personality was very much like Hinata's. It scared her sometimes how in sync they were with each other. Rather, how much he understood her. His scent of the woods meant freedom. Shino never judged her and always patiently listened. He let her ramble on about her day. Nothing held her back from acting childish or silly. Hinata wasn't afraid to share her feelings of uneasiness on how she was going to pay the rent. There was no need to put on a strong facade, pretend that she was all right. Because, to Hinata, Shino gave her the freedom to just simply be.

Neji's smell of tea repulsed Hinata for the longest time. At first it was the constant reminder of how he was so much better than her. He conducted business without blinking an eye. He had no trouble studying for hours on end. He was strong, always keeping his emotions in check. Neji was everything that Hinata was not. But now, Hinata no longer felt that way. Neji's soothing scent of tea represented calmness and balance. His vast knowledge of the business world helped Hinata to search for jobs and a place to stay. His poised and controlled manner taught Hinata not to freak out every small thing. Only Neji understood that stubborn Hyuuga pride when Hinata wouldn't lean on anyone for financial support, no matter how many times he offered. To Hinata, Neji was her anchor in any storm, an assurance that you could always return home, wherever that may be.

Sasuke Uchiha was something else entirely. Hinata first noticed it at the company board meeting where he introduced her as his new secretary. After standing next to him for an hour, Hinata could only conclude that her boss smelled really good. It had to be some sort of expensive cologne and even then Hinata wasn't sure. In a way, Sasuke's cologne reminded Hinata of his personality. The smell wasn't overwhelming and didn't suffocate her. He was rather a simple man and an easy boss to work for – schedule only what was necessary and avoid unnecessary at all costs. It was a great boost to Hinata's self esteem that he had complete trust she would fulfill any task he asked of her. On the other hand, you couldn't help but notice his cologne. His presence was constant in Hinata's life. It was Hinata's friends that pointed this out to her. Naruto teased her that he no longer saw her at the ramen stand. Hinata laughed it off and said that she wasn't craving ramen these days. The truth was that she was comforted that, not only did she have a job, but someone needed her. Shino commented she seemed happier and that she smiled more, which only led Hinata to blush even more. Sasuke valued her as she was, not as the disgraced daughter of the Hyuuga household, but as her, just Hinata. Neji's overprotective side immediately stepped in, telling Hinata of Sasuke's ruthless ways of getting what he wanted and how he notoriously – constantly – mixed business with pleasure. It was only after Hinata told her cousin that Sasuke would never allow her to attend meetings with old perverts after the time they tried to feel her up that Neji seemed pacified. To Hinata, Sasuke's cologne evoked a sense of love, something Hinata never knew she was missing.

The hardest part was that Hinata knew it was one-sided.

That is until Sasuke called her into his office one day and reminded her of the company policy. Interoffice dating was not strictly prohibited but it was strongly discouraged. Hinata put on the most professional face she could fake and nodded that she understood.

"Good. Now that you know, I was wondering if you would like to go on a date with me tonight."


	3. Touch

Even though Naruto had mentioned something about it, Sasuke would never tell him the real reason. Sasuke had to keep some of his dwindling pride in tact.

It started out brief and flirty. Sometimes a handshake lasting longer than appropriate, a slight brush against her arm when she handed him various files. Accidentally letting his knee touch hers when they were going over files together. He enjoyed making her slightly uncomfortable. Because, Hinata deserved it all since _she_ was making _him _uncomfortable.

When she agreed to go out with him, it wasn't brief and it was no longer accidental. No, his mind wasn't always in the gutter. He reached for her hand when they went shopping together. He put his arm around her waist when they went out with mutual friends. He rested his hand on her back when he followed her during work parties. At first Sasuke worried he really was going insane. Why in the world did he always have to be connected to her in some way? It wasn't as if anyone was going to steal her away. After all if anyone dared, Sasuke would win. He never lost before and he certainly wasn't going to lose her.

So for his own sanity and perhaps hers, he stopped.

But then _she_ link her arms with his during the annual office party. She joked that if she didn't then others might steal him away. At that moment, Sasuke was relieved. She was afraid that he might go back to his playboy ways. He was afraid that she would choose someone else. He quickly reassured her neither was going to happen by quickly putting his hand on hers.

But it was more than that. It wasn't always just for show. Sasuke wanted her to rest her hands on his when he was driving. While they were eating at a restaurant, Sasuke put his foot next to hers. At the movie theater, he put his arm around her shoulder. When they were talking on the couch, he used her lap as his pillow.

So the real reason?

Because for once in his life, the Sasuke Uchiha was scared. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't convince himself – or her – that he wasn't afraid of anything. He was afraid that she would come to the same conclusion his father did, that no one would ever fall in love with such a useless and tainted person. One day she might uncover who he really was, a coward who made too many mistakes in the past, someone who seemed to corrupt everything that he touched. And when she did, she would disappear. Him touching her was in fact a desperate plea, him silently begging her to not leave him just like his father, mother, and brother had. Each time he was touching her, it proved that she was real, reassuring him that she was still here.

The topic was never formally addressed but it wasn't overlooked either. It was nice to know that she expected him to always be there, immediately looking for him when he wasn't. Sasuke wasn't insane, he was just slightly insecure – not that Naruto or anyone else would ever know about it.


	4. Sound

After a long day at the office, Hinata was able to go home. Projects kept coming in. Appointments were cancelled and rescheduled. Everyone just had to talk to the president, who happened to be conveniently out of town. On top of that, it was raining making Hinata cranky and irritable. All she wanted to do was eat the rest of the rocky road ice cream and sleep the night away. Setting her ice cream on the nightstand, Hinata looked for the television remote. The loud ringing of her phone surprised her and she scrambled to pick it up.

Before she could even say hello, the person spoke.

"I didn't mean to call so late." The voice of her boyfriend immediately made Hinata smile. When they had started to date, he would call her often and they could talk for hours. They never seemed to run out of topics. Not one to boast but Hinata admits that her boyfriend has a sexy voice. Just something about talking to him on the phone gave Hinata butterflies. She always felt like a love-struck teenage girl.

"It's fine. How did everything go?" She heard his irritated sigh.

"Remind me again why you aren't here with me? Naruto just keeps talking and never gets to the point. At this rate I will need more than 3 days to close this deal."

"We had too many projects going on remember? I'm sure that everything will be fine. Did you eat?" Hinata put the phone on speaker and started to eat her ice cream.

"I ordered some food."

"That's good. How was the flight?"

"Naruto snores." Hinata laughed at that comment. "But otherwise fine. I know it's raining there."

"Oh yeah it's suppose to be better tomorrow though. I hope anyways."'

"Hn. I think so." Hinata heard Sasuke typing on a keyboard.

"Are you checking the weather?"

"Maybe. It should be better tomorrow."

"I love how you are checking the weather back home when you are all the way in Paris."

"Are you eating ice cream?" Hinata heard amusement in Sasuke's voice. She purposely set the bowl on the counter a little louder than usual.

"Maybe. How is Paris?"

"Boring." Hinata could practically see Sasuke shrug.

"It's suppose to be one of the most beautiful cities in the world! You should enjoy it if you flew all the way out there."

"I think the only parts of Paris I will be seeing is the inside of old historic buildings and old men who can't seem to comprehend how business works." Hinata heard more typing on the keyboard.

"I don't want to bother you."

"Do you want to sleep?" The concern in Sasuke's voice was unmistakable.

"No I'm all right."

"Give me a second. Someone is at the door." Hinata heard shuffling, a faint "merci," and then the door closing.

"The meeting is going to start in an hour later than planned and the food is here." Sasuke informed Hinata.

"That's good. Eat your food. I ate mine."

"Hina I don't think that rocky road ice cream counts as food." His nickname for her easily left his lips.

"Diary from the ice cream and protein from the almonds. Your turn."

"I'm drinking coffee and about to eat a croissant. How was work?" Hinata heard clinking of silverware, ensuring that Sasuke meant what he said.

"Busy. We drew up several contracts. Nii-san wants to know if we are going to buy out that company or not."

"Are we?" Hinata blinked a few times and didn't respond. "Hina? Are you still there?"

"I'm here. I wasn't sure what you wanted me to do so I just told Nii-san that I would ask you once you get back."

"There's no need to ask me. If you think that it is worth it then tell him yes."

"You trust me to make that decision?"

"You should give yourself much more credit than that pathetic father of yours."

"He's not pathetic."

"He is an idiot." Hinata sighed in resignation. Sasuke did have a reputation for being overly stubborn.

"I'll just draw up the contract then."

"I'll sign them once I come home." Hinata smiled at that word. _Home_.

"Thanks." There was silence between the couple, except for Sasuke typing on his laptop.

"I miss you." Hinata whispered. She heard the clacking of the keys stop and a loud sigh.

"They say distance makes the heart fonder."

"So poetic. Of course you would say something like that."

"Hn. Although at this point, I am not sure my heart can grow any fonder for you than it already has." Hinata blushed at the comment. "We should fix this problem."

"And how do you propose we do that Mr. CEO?"

"If you marry me." Hinata dropped the phone on the bed and quickly scrambled to pick it up again. They had never talked about marriage, deciding to just take their relationship one step at a time. This was certainly a big step.

"What?"

"Hina, I know this is not the romantic proposals that all girls dream of. Not that you are one of those. We certainly know that Sakura would kill Naruto if he ever proposed to her like this." Hinata giggled and nodded in agreement. "But will you marry me?"

"Of course."

"Good. Because I already picked out the ring. It's in your nightstand." Hinata opened her drawer and a small blue box was there.

"Did you plan this out? Being thousands of miles away and proposing to me over the phone, assuming that I would say yes?" Hinata teased.

"I wasn't going to give you a chance to say no."


End file.
